Reading Alone Together

Gigi and Little House

Last week, I signed up for a remote silent reading party hosted by the Stranger, a Seattle-based publication. I’d never heard of such a thing, but apparently this goes on all the time in Seattle: people gather at a local hotel, and they read silently together while a pianist provides background music. Continue reading

Favorites

front door with autumn wreath

Over the past several days, I had occasion to be involved in a conversation about favorites.

The person who asked the initial question, a relative newcomer to the group, began a thread asking people to identify their favorite stories in the subject fandom. Her intention was to spark discussion. In this she succeeded brilliantly. Continue reading

Happy Independent Bookstore Day 2019!

Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore Day!

IBD+Logo+Large+(PNG)

Those who haven’t celebrated this holiday before may have a few questions. While I am not a bookseller and I have no affiliation with any bookseller, I do have a teensy bit of experience in buying books.

my book pile

So, let’s consider a few basic questions: Continue reading

Physical Books v. E-books: A Few Completely Subjective Thoughts

bookshelf2

In 2000, I went on vacation alone for the first time. The prospect of a week on Captiva Island, reading and swimming and reading again, was delicious. Of course, the dilemma was what to read: mysteries, literature, general fiction, essays, or something else. Who knew what I’d feel like reading on a given day? So I did what any reasonable person would do: I loaded up my suitcase with books and tucked some clothes in around them. At the Fort Myers airport, as I tried to lift my suitcase into a rental car, I found myself wishing there was an alternative to hauling a library around.

Continue reading